The conventions are over and so,
in my opinion, is the election. The thud received by the Democrats from their
gathering in Boston was met with a resounding bounce heard round the world from
New York City, site of the Republican National Convention.
This convention was so effective, John Kerry felt the need to hold a silly
midnight rally immediately following George Bush’s acceptance speech. With the
possible exception of the chaotic 1968 Democrat fiasco in Chicago, I have seen
few political events as riveting as the GOP get together in Madison Square
Garden. And that is remarkable, since today's choreographed political
conventions are little more than formalities to validate the results of primary
elections held months earlier.
To those of us who need our daily
dose of politics as much as the rest of humanity requires oxygen, it is hard to
imagine that two months before the most important presidential election of our
time, there is still such a thing as an undecided voter. Given the startling
11-point lead George W. Bush now holds over John Kerry, apparently the GOP
Convention not only helped make up some minds, it changed some as well.
After Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Arnold Schwarzenegger got through with him,
Kerry was then filleted like a freshly caught Georgia Catfish by Democrat Sen.
Zell Miller in his prime time keynote speech. Miller wasted no time laying out
Kerry's disgraceful 20-year Senate record of appeasement and capitulation, and
showed voters why Sen. Flip-Flop from Massachusetts has nothing on which to
campaign except his four-month tour of duty in Vietnam. And despite all the
harrumphing from the mainstream media, mainstream America ate it up.
Vice President Dick Cheney seemed calm and quiet following
Zell Miller's thunder. Then came the president. Toward the end of his overly
long acceptance speech, George W. Bush demonstrated why he should be reelected
to a second term. His emotion when talking about those he has had to send into
harm's way in the war on terror reached out to every voter who cares about a
friend or family member serving in Afghanistan or Iraq. For all of John Kerry's
feigned concern about our troops in combat, I have never seen him come close to
shedding a tear over them.
Bush also won points when he joked about Arnold Schwarzenegger correcting his
English, and confessed that in Texas his swagger is simply called walking. Those
are the kind of self-effacing remarks that are disarming to detractors,
endearing to friends and reassuring those who are undecided. They also show the
character of the man. Can you imagine John Kerry saying to the American people,
in that Massachusetts monotone of his, "Some people say I'm stiff and
aloof, but that's just the way it is with us New Englanders, you know?" Ha,
ha, ha.
John Kerry goes wind surfing for relaxation, takes himself very seriously (but
seldom means what he says) and would ask the tyrants at the United Nations when
he can defend America. George Bush clears brush with a chain saw, makes jokes
about his fractured syntax, tells the world if they are not with us, they are
with the terrorists — and means it. As voters continue to focus on this race
long enough to ask themselves which of these very different men would make a
better commander-in-chief, the polls will continue to favor the president.
Democrats called the Republican Convention
mean-spirited and negative, but it was a breath of fresh air. After 18 months of
hate-filled vitriol and outrageous accusations from the entire Democrat attack
machine, it was refreshing to see someone actually defend the President of the
United States and set the record straight about his opponent. It was a moment
reminiscent of the battle scene in Mel Gibson's movie, 'Braveheart,' when
Scottish rebels wait until the last second to raise hundreds of long spears
toward advancing English cavalry, who are skewered by their own arrogance,
momentum and inability to change course.
Similarly, John Kerry and his Democrat cavalry are in full charge, oblivious to
the fact that what awaits them is defeat.
Doug
Patton is a freelance columnist who has served as a speechwriter, policy advisor
and communications director for federal, state and local candidates, elected
officials and public policy organizations. His weekly columns are published
in newspapers across the country and on selected Internet websites. Readers can
e-mail him at [email protected].
